- Students from the 2025 KCSE cohort who missed this year’s transfer deadline could get another opportunity in 2027.
- KUCCPS says the candidates remain eligible for inter-institutional transfers this year and next year.
- Meanwhile, applicants who met the August 14 deadline are awaiting transfer letters as processing continues.
First-year students from the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) cohort who missed this year’s inter-institutional transfer deadline could still have an opportunity to change their universities or courses.
The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) has clarified that candidates who sat their KCSE examinations in 2025 remain eligible to apply for an inter-institutional transfer in either 2026 or 2027.
The clarification is expected to ease concerns among students who failed to submit their transfer applications before the closure of the latest application window.
“If they sat for KCSE in 2025, they are eligible for transfer this year, 2026, and/or next year 2027,” KUCCPS said.
The agency was responding to inquiries from students seeking clarification on whether they had lost their opportunity to transfer after the 2026 application period ended.
Transfer window closed on August 14
The latest inter-institutional transfer exercise opened in July and covered students placed by KUCCPS in universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
The exercise was open to candidates from the 2023, 2024 and 2025 KCSE cohorts, with August 14, 2026, set as the deadline for submitting applications.
KUCCPS announced the 2026 inter-institutional transfer exercise on July 16, giving eligible students 30 days to apply. The August 14 deadline is independently confirmed by notices issued by institutions participating in the exercise.
Students who successfully applied before the deadline are now waiting for their transfer letters as KUCCPS processes the applications.
The placement agency has assured applicants that the letters will become available for download through their student portals once processing is completed.
“The processing of the transfer letters is ongoing. The letter will be generated automatically for download by the applicant through the student portal as soon as it is ready,” KUCCPS said in response to one of the students.
Applicants have consequently been advised to keep checking their KUCCPS portals for updates on the status of their applications.
Those whose transfers are approved will be able to download their letters directly from the portal and use them when reporting to their new institutions.
Another opportunity in 2027
The clarification comes as thousands of students admitted from the 2025 KCSE cohort begin their transition into universities and other tertiary institutions for the 2026/27 academic year.
For students who missed the 2026 transfer window, the option of applying in 2027 means they may not necessarily have to remain in an institution or programme they do not wish to pursue.
However, students will still have to meet the requirements applicable during the relevant transfer cycle, including the availability of places and the requirements for the course and institution they seek to join.
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KUCCPS guidance on inter-institutional transfers requires applicants to meet the applicable programme requirements, while admission is also subject to the receiving institution having capacity.
By Jonathan Mwinzi
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